Bobby Jasoos review: Vidya Balan makes it a delightful film

She’s 30 years old, single, carries a backpack, wears sensible shoes and no make-up. She has an office, two assistants and a reputation for being just a little strange. Because really, which sensible young woman from Hyderabad goes prancing around the city, saying she’s a private detective? Bilquis, who wants to be known as Bobby Jasoos, is not sensible. And thank god for this, because Bobby is one of the most delightful heroines to have graced the Indian silver screen. She’s quick-witted, feisty, determined and more than a little ‘cracked’. Her family despairs because who will marry someone like her? The one detective agency in the neighbourhood is sick of her showing up and asking for a job. To most of her world, Bobby Jasoos is a bit of a joke, but none of this fazes our Bobby. She’s convinced that she is a sleuth and so sleuthing she will go, at all cost. While waiting for the big case to land on her lap, Bobby has small-fry assignments, like spying on her friend Afreen because her mother wants to know if Afreen is seeing someone. Then there’s Tasawur, a TV anchor and the mohalla’s prize catch, who hires Bobby to scotch all the marriage proposals that come for him because he’s eager to spread his wings and fly out of this middle class neighbourhood. Cases like these keep Bobby busy until Anees Khan and his big car show up. He needs her to find someone and in exchange for this, she will get a fat load of cash. As far as Bobby is concerned, Anees Khan is Eid, Christmas and Diwali all wrapped up in one. [caption id=“attachment_1602661” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Bobby Jasoos in one of her many disguises[/caption] It’s only after she’s found two of the people — both girls — that Anees Khan hired her to find that Bobby starts wondering about her mysterious client. Why does this man want two girls? Has Bobby unwittingly helped a villain? Bobby must find out, and while she’s at it, she’s also got to break up the marriage that’s been arranged between her and Tasawur by their parents. There’s an effervescent sweetness to Bobby Jasoos, written by Sanyukta Chawla and directed by Samar Sheikh. It’s Sheikh’s first film, but his direction is assured and he has marshalled his technical team smartly. Hyderabad looks beautiful without seeming fake. The pace of the film is spritely and not for a moment during its two hours does Bobby Jasoos drag. Chawla’s done a wonderful job of putting together a simple, imperfect story that ties its loose ends and is filled with memorable characters. It’s not watertight and it doesn’t necessarily make complete sense, but this is Bollywood. As long as it’s fun and convincing, we’ll go with it. Chawla has also written the film’s witty dialogues, which are delivered with the requisite elan by an excellent cast led by Vidya Balan. Experienced actors like Tanvi Azmi, Supriya Pathak and Rajendra Gupta make sure the minor characters in the film are memorable. Ali Fazal, from 3 Idiots and Fukrey, has had to grow up for Bobby Jasoos, so he has a stubble. Armed with facial fuzz, he does a good job of keeping up with Balan as Bobby. If there is a false note in Bobby Jasoos, then it’s Arjan Bajwa, who wears lashings of kohl to fit the stereotype of a Muslim man and instead ends up looking like he’s competing with Kareena Kapoor for the job of being the Lakme Kajal’s ambassador. Balan as Jasoos carries the film ably and lives up to the reputation that she’s earned for herself of being a real actress, rather than a star. Bobby Jasoos relies heavily on Balan winning over audiences without the help of a hero or a romantic lead. It’s not easy because Bobby doesn’t transform into a paragon of virtue. The film is all about Bobby and her being a jasoos, and Balan is superb. She gets to have fun with a number of disguises, including one that seems to be a dig at Ekta Kapoor, but Balan is really in her element when she’s playing the disguise-less Bobby, with her sensible salwar kameez and minimal make-up. Bobby is utterly loveable and her irrepressible energy makes her reminiscent of characters like Geeta in Seeta Aur Geeta and the more recent small town heroine, Rani in Queen. She keeps roza faithfully, but she also shows up at Tawasur’s window (she climbs up a ladder to his second-floor room) in the dead of the night to discuss her case. She yearns for her father’s approval, but fights his conservatism and won’t give in to his demands that she give up all this detective tomfoolery. She can, with the help of a clothesline, overpower a man and get him to spill his secrets. She can also bust a few dance moves at the Eid party. In short, Bobby’s the sort of girl with whom you can’t help but fall in love. So go see Bobby Jasoos. With a little help from her friends and family, she’ll make you happier than you’ve felt in ages.